WATCH: Hurricane Ian Continues Destroying US After Leaving Devastated Florida, Heads Toward South Carolina

As Hurricane Ian, now a tropical storm, proceeded north across the Atlantic coast, leaving a path of destruction, the situation in Florida remained extremely dangerous.

Between 6 and 20 inches of rain fell in central Florida from Hurricane Ian, and Cape Coral, which is close to where the Category 4 monster made landfall on Wednesday, reported the strongest wind gusts of 140 mph.

'Historic Storm' Wreaks Havoc in Florida

The death toll is still unknown as search and rescue operations intensify. Although Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was an estimate based on 911 calls from trapped homeowners, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno stated on Good Morning America that the fatalities were likely his agency was unable to provide HuffPost with a number other than in the hundreds.

PowerOutage.us estimates that more than 2.6 million people in the state were without electricity, and it will take some time for it to be fully restored.

After Hurricane Ian battered a central Florida cemetery with strong winds and rain, the remains of individuals who had been buried were left exposed. A cemetery in Oakland, Florida was seen on video with several tombs left exposed by Hurricane Ian's ferocious winds and downpours.

The caskets were uncovered by the severe rain, which also moved several of them from their intended locations. Following the flooding, Orange County locals are said to have hurried to the cemetery in tears, panicked that their loved ones had been carried away among the rubble, as per Fox News.

In the meantime, hundreds of rescue operations have been underway around Florida due to catastrophic flooding caused by one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the country. As several feet of water flooded into neighborhoods, thousands of people were left stranded around the state. Coastguard helicopters were observed rescuing people from roofs. 2.5 million people are still without energy.

Hurricane Ian Plows Toward Carolinas

Hurricane has been downgraded to a hurricane once more as it prepares to strike the South Carolina coastline after spending most of Thursday as a tropical storm. A state of emergency has been declared by President Joe Biden. At around 2:00 p.m. today, Hurricane Ian is anticipated to make landfall somewhere close to Charleston, South Carolina.

The National Hurricane Center will cause dangerous storm surges, flooding, and strong winds in regions of Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. The historic city of Charleston in South Carolina is under attack by a resurrected Hurricane Ian, and forecasts are expecting a storm surge and flooding, according to Independent.

Early on Friday, the storm is anticipated to hit South Carolina. It will linger there through Saturday before making its way slowly towards North Carolina. As it moves further north, the reenergized Ian is not anticipated to cause as much havoc.

A forecast picture showing Hurricane Ian now north of Florida and predicted to become the first hurricane to make landfall in South Carolina since Matthew in 2016 was shared on Twitter by Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach.

Hurricane Ian is stronger, but not a lot stronger, according to Klotzbach, who also stated in an interview with Newsweek that storms can strengthen over the water but decrease over land. The circumstances are unlikely for Ian to strengthen when it again makes landfall, he said.

A weaker Ian won't cause the devastating floods in Fort Myers or the 12-foot storm surges experienced in Florida. But he said that a Category 1 storm may bring flooding, felled trees, severe rains, and a chance of fatalities. Homes in South Carolina are also susceptible to flooding from less powerful storm surges, he added.

Henry McMaster, the governor of South Carolina, has proclaimed a state of emergency. However, he said he hadn't issued any orders for evacuations or the closing of state offices during a press conference on Thursday.

Following its anticipated arrival at 8 am on Friday, Hurricane Ian's powerful winds, according to McMaster, will hurl the storm all over the state. He advised locals to be aware of their surroundings, stay inside, avoid driving on flooded roads and maintain contact with loved ones. Human error and people taking chances are the main concerns.

Although North Carolina's authorities are still preparing, Klotzbach said he doesn't anticipate the state to be as damaged. Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, stated on Twitter that the state is still bracing itself for landslides, strong winds, and heavy rains. Cooper referred to Tropical Storm Fred, which hit the state 13 months ago and left six people dead and 125 homes destroyed, Newsweek reported.